Month: April 2017

I Found a New Place For Super Stylish AND Inexpensive Sunglasses

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Summer is quickly approaching which means it’s time to get those sunglasses out! If you’re like me, losing a pair of sunnies is inevitable. I feel like each season another one of them mysteriously vanishes from my life, and it’s always my favorite pair. 🙄 This is why I prefer not to spend a lot of money on them. I came across a website that has super cute frames for an unbelievable price. It’s called Sunglass Warehouse and everything is $20 and under. Naturally, I picked out a few pairs and put them to the test. Here’s a few snaps I took of each pair (you’ll see me actually wearing them in future blog posts). Ocatvia Gold frame with blue mirrored lenses. You may have seen me wear these already, HERE. These are definitely the most va va voom out of the three. I’ve never tried a pair of mirrored lenses, and at only $12.95 it was kind of a no brainer. Honestly, they are a bit much for me. I probably won’t wear them as …

A Moment to Breathe

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Spring semester is finally over and I feel like I can breathe again. This was definitely one of the most challenging semesters yet since I’ve been in college. Since I am in design school, I am constantly balancing 4 or 5 projects at a time. While it wasn’t easy (I drank more coffee this last week, than I ever have in my entire life), I will admit it was fun. I learned how to put motifs I’ve hand drawn into a computer app called Kaledo, and turn it into prints that I ended up getting physical swatches of on silk fabric. I discovered a new love for researching current happenings and forecasting future implications in my trends class, and I found that I prefer draping on a form to create garments, rather than starting with a flat paper pattern and yucky math first. I could go on and on. It’s a great feeling to be happy in the major I chose, and be satisfied in knowing that I am in the right place at the …

Style Star of the Week: Ambra

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Ambra, 25, New York City Occupation: Associate Marketing Manager at Time Inc. How would you describe your style? My style is timeless, chic, and feminine. I love wearing pieces that will stand the test of time. I am originally from Louisiana so I’d like to think of myself as a Southern Belle with a little twist. What do you think about when you get dressed in the morning? Polished and poised is always the goal when I’m getting dressed. What item of clothing or accessory makes you feel most like yourself and why? My lipstick is my favorite accessory. It brings my look to life and changes the overall concept. What is your dream job? Marketing Director at a Fashion or Beauty Publication What’s something you read about recently that you found interesting or thought provoking? I have been recently reading a new book, Harvard Business Review Guide to Getting The Right Work Done, to help my focus on accomplishing my goals for my career and blog my favorite line thus far was ” The next time you find yourself thinking, ‘But I’m …

Need to Relax? This Might Help

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Iconic American lifestyle brand Vera Bradley has 33 years of successful pattern development under its belt. While most known for her bags, clothing, and accessories, the Fort Wayne fashion brand has unveiled something new: coloring books! I am sure you’ve heard about the recent adult coloring book craze, but did you know the health benefits of it? Research shows  coloring has therapeutic potential to reduce anxiety, create focus or bring about more mindfulness. Groundbreaking research dating all the way back to 2005 (can you believe that was 12 years ago?) proved anxiety levels dropped when subjects colored mandalas: round frames with geometric patterns inside. Although, simply doodling, had no effect in reducing the other subjects’ stress levels.   I’ve had a chance to review Vera Bradley Floral Patterns Coloring Book and Vera Bradley Paisley Patterns Coloring Book, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I am in the midst of what my school calls “Hell Week.” It’s the week before finals (because unlike the rest of the university, in art school we don’t have final exams, we have huge projects due and presentations). …

On Self Love

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I came across a quote that perfectly sums up something I’ve always believed: “Falling in love with yourself first doesn’t make you vain or selfish, it makes you indestructible.” At the end of the day if you know who you are, nobody can convince you otherwise. From a very young age my parents raised me to be proud of who God made me to be. I grew up in all-white towns, all-white neighborhoods, all-white schools, so this was a vital lesson I needed in order to keep my true identity in tact. Apparently when I was really little I would come home saying things like, “Mommy, I wish I had white skin,” or “I hate that my nose is too broad.” When I got to the pre-teen years I wanted a hair relaxer which would make it nice and straight like my white classmates. My mom gave in and at 13 I started chemically straightening my hair. I just recently decided to go back to my natural curls and do the “big chop” at 19. I …

Style Star of the Week: Jarrel Jackson

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Jarrel Jackson, 27 Cincinnati, OH Aspiring Designer/Entrepreneur My style is a beautiful mashup of street wear, vintage, athletic apparel and contemporary menswear. I like to express myself through different styles of clothing and footwear and combine them for unique looks. The first thing I think about when getting dressed is how I can turn heads while still being able to break out in a run if I have to. I like to be fashionable but functional at the same time. Any item of clothing that I have made myself whether it’s distressed or painted jeans, custom shoes, or a bracelet I made really makes me feel like myself. I feel like all of my pieces give some kind of insight into my personality so I try to wear something I have made myself, every day. My dream job is to be an architect one day as well as owning my own footwear and clothing brand(s). I would like to be in a position to help people through my work and inspire others. Something that I read recently …

Mid-Day Sun Soak

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The other day a lot was on my mind and I just craved being outdoors and sitting alone. Away from my classmates, away from the fluorescent lighting, away from the noise. I just needed to find a clear space to process my thoughts, without the clutter of my surroundings distracting me. Do you ever feel like that? Spring semester is almost over. Three more weeks left to go. I am trying to hold on and keep pushing through all of these projects I have due, but it’s okay to let yourself relax for a minute. Sometimes you just need that mid-day sun soak to renew. Photos taken by Caroline Eyer Photography

Here Are the Strange Differences I Encountered While In Morocco

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So it’s been two weeks now that I’ve been back from my study abroad/service learning trip to Morocco. I went with a group of 15 University of Cincinnati students, and our faculty leader who quickly became our second mom. I didn’t know the majority of the people who went beforehand, but after spending 10 days and nights together, bonding with real human connection for the 23 hours a day we didn’t have wifi, teaching English to kids whose native tongue was Arabic, and experiencing a different culture together, I have an undeniable bond with each of them. When you travel to an unfamiliar place, there are things that stand out and may seem strange from your usual day-to-day experiences. In my temporary, exciting new world, I was overstimulated with newness, and tried to keep track in the notes app of my phone everything I was experiencing. Here are the most memorable observations… Public Bathrooms  It’s the afternoon, and everyone’s knocked out. We were on a bus on our way to our hotel in Marrakech after …